Realistic timeline for Zhaire Smith's return from fractured foot

Realistic timeline for Zhaire Smith's return from fractured foot

The brutal run of rookies suffering various injuries for the Philadelphia 76ers has officially rolled into 2018. After seeing names like Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Markelle Fultz suffer setbacks during their first NBA seasons, the team’s first-round selection this year in Zhaire Smith has been dealt his own tough blow.

Smith, who was the No. 16 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, suffered a fractured foot during a developmental camp on Monday in Las Vegas.

It’s tough to see for the 19-year-old who was expected to use this offseason to continue his growth and improve his game ahead of the regular season. The question now becomes, just how long with Smith remain sidelined?

It’s tough to gauge recovery time for a fractured foot, but a few things may help us put together a solid estimate. As Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports revealed, the injury is a Jones fracture and he’ll undergo surgery later this week.

Smith had MRI/imaging in Philadelphia today revealing a Jones fracture — with surgery scheduled for later this week, league sources said. He also will see another specialist in Philadelphia. https://t.co/VT0RVpZ9oi

While all injuries are obviously different, The Athletic’s Derek Bodner made an interesting point when citing the Jones fracture, and the history Philly has with it.

On the surface, it’s a similar injury to what Simmons suffered, which had a timeline for recovery of around 10-12 weeks.

An acute Jones fracture would be the same injury which sidelined Ben Simmons during his rookie season. A frequent timeline given (*note: not by anyone who has reviewed Smith's injury) is 10-12 weeks. But, again, each injury is different. https://t.co/zZ1kRRaR3G

While Smith, who spent just one season in college with Texas Tech, could be dealing with an injury that’s a bit different from the one Simmons suffered, this at least gives a general idea. There’s also the factor of how quickly he heals, but regardless, it seems likely that a 2-3 month timeframe is realistic.

This would leave the start of the rookie’s first NBA regular season very much in doubt and almost certainly wipe out the remainder of his offseason.